Francesco Mirko Massaro

The early stages of structural design increasingly make use of computational tools that support rapid exploration, performance-informed decision-making, and closer interaction between design and engineering. This systematic mapping study examines how Algorithm-Aided Design (AAD) and the Finite Element Method (FEM) are applied and combined in conceptual design workflows. Based on a structured search across three academic databases and a coding scheme applied to 87 publications, the literature is mapped according to algorithmic strategies, FEM applications, element types, disciplinary domains, and levels of integration. The results show that algorithmic and predictive approaches are reported with increasing frequency after 2020, alongside growing use of surrogate models and optimisation routines. Linear-elastic analyses and shell- or beam-based models are frequently reported, particularly in civil engineering contexts, while nonlinear, dynamic, and solid-element analyses appear more prominently in mechanical domains. More tightly coupled AAD–FEM workflows become increasingly visible after 2021, reflecting a growing interest in real-time or near-real-time simulation feedback during early design exploration. At the same time, the literature highlights persistent challenges related to computational cost, fragmented toolchains, limited interoperability, and the relatively limited use of multiscale or advanced material models in conceptual design. Taken together, the findings suggest that continued progress toward more integrated AAD–FEM workflows is closely tied to advances in computational efficiency, improved data exchange and interoperability, and the development of more accessible design–analysis environments across disciplinary boundaries.

Carpentry joints are very common in existing timber structures and they may gain attention for contemporary structures, due to their high degree of reversibility. Therefore, reliable Finite Element (FE) models for carpentry joints can contribute to assessing their capacity and provide a better insight into the parameters influencing their mechanical properties. This paper presents a FE study (using Abaqus) of timber halved-and-tabled scarf joints, together with experimental results. The FE-model considers fracture due to combined shear and tension perpendicular-to-grain by using cohesive zone modelling. Experimental tests on spruce solid timber specimens were performed to validate the model. The specimens were constructed by the use of a CNC-machine. For comparative purposes, two handmade specimens were tested, resulting in a lower load capacity. The FE results showed that initial gaps have a considerable effect on capacity. For certain assumed initial gaps, the FE-model could predict the capacity, however, it underestimated the deformation.

At present, the mechanical properties of laterally loaded threaded fasteners with large diameters embedded in timber elements remain unknown. An experimental study of laterally loaded threaded rods with wood screw threads embedded perpendicular to grain in softwood elements (spruce and pine glulam and spruce LVL) is presented in this paper. Embedment tests with the load acting parallel and perpendicular to grain were carried out and the embedment strength and stiffness were quantified. For some test series, the experimental embedment strengths were lower compared to the predictions according to Eurocode 5 in terms of both mean and characteristic values. This finding indicates that the predictions by Eurocode 5 are not always conservative. To investigate the effect of the thread, additional series of embedment tests were carried out with smooth dowels featuring a diameter approximately equal to the core diameter of the threaded rods. Finally, the yielding moment of threaded rods was quantified based on a series of three-point bending tests of threaded rods. The experimentally determined yielding moment was significantly higher than the prediction of Eurocode 5.

The effects of variation in humidity coupled with long-term loading give rise to dimensional changes and creep effects in wooden elements. Many wooden products such as cross-laminated timber (CLT) plates as well as many common structural details used in timber engineering are vulnerable to variations in moisture content (MC) as well as to creep effects. This paper addresses the long-term effects in the material modelling of timber by the finite element method (FEM), also considering the viscoelastic and mechanosorptive effects in wood. The model was calibrated using both relaxation tests and creep tests. The results from both long-term compression perpendicular- to-grain tests (relaxation and creep) performed on glulam (GL30c) from Norway spruce (Picea abies) with moisture control are presented in this paper. The material model considers the effect of loading and moisture changes. For realistic comparison, the pith location of each lamella was specified in the numerical analyses. Ultimately, a comparison between the numerical results and the experimental results has been provided, exhibiting an overall good estimation of timber response.